Different Grades of Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC)
As mentioned above, formaldehyde, urea, and water make up urea formaldehyde concentrate. It offers a highly concentrated version of formaldehyde that is easily accessible on the market. The crucial factor in producing this chemical compound is the amount of these three substances and the concentration level. For various reasons, most customers prefer to use a high-purity grade of urea formaldehyde concentrate. As a result, urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC 65) manufacturers tend to produce this chemical compound with the highest concentration possible. These pure grades also must be available with varying amounts of urea and formaldehyde. It is worth mentioning that urea resins are created in industrial manufacturing by condensing formaldehyde and urea in an aqueous solution with ammonia acting as an alkaline catalyst. The condensation reaction creates a clear, syrupy solution, which can then be sprayed into powder and used in adhesives or coatings. It can also be combined with cellulose filler to create powders for solid object molding. The resin, primarily composed of low-molecular-weight intermediate polymers or prepolymers, is cured to reach its final state, consisting of a three-dimensional network of interlinked polymers under heat and pressure.
Factors below can differ each grade of urea formaldehyde concentrate:
- The appearance that is usually a transparent and colorless liquid;
- Formaldehyde content;
- Urea content;
- Water content;
- Methanol content, max;
- Viscosity at 25 °C;
- Specific gravity at 20 °C;
- pH at 25 °C.
Following this section, we’ll discuss the two common grades of urea-formaldehyde concentrate with their unique properties; many producers, such as Urea Formaldehyde Adhesive manufacturers, may use these types in their industries.